Low-income families get a headstart during the pandemic with food delivered to their doorstep

BOSTON — The COVID-19 pandemic is hitting everyone differently, but some of the most affected are the people in lower income households.

With every household Is a different story.

“It’s really helpful, really helpful," said Heidi, a Chelsea resident. “We appreciate it.”

However the story of how the food arrived at hundreds and hundreds of doorsteps started at ABCD Headstart. Their room full of boxes turned into carts full of bags. Staff and volunteers loaded a buss full of food, diapers, educational material and other supplies Thursday to take to 1,600 homes.

Headstart serves a couple thousand families in the region. Some of those families have already came to the buildings to pick up food and supplies but for the rest of them these nine buses will go out to them.

“They don’t have the means or they don’t have childcare or they are afraid,” said ABCD Head Start & Children’s Services Vice President, Yvette Rodriguez. “We will do it as often as it is needed as we continue talking to the families.”

Since COVID-19 closed Headstart offices, these families can’t get the normal meals and support they depend on.

“These are the most vulnerable low income families and they deserve the best of the best quality so this program is designed to provide high-quality early education services including but not limited mental health, special-needs services, social emotional development, health nutrition.”

These families very thankful for the attention to detail as every delivery has an individual meal plan based on their specific health condition and they never have to leave their home.

“It’s needed,” said Heidi. ”It’s really helpful we don’t have to go out.”

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- Massachusetts Coronavirus Information

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